On to the important detail though. I bought this as an impulse buy when I found myself in the city centre with 2 hours to kill and no book. It seemed appropriate for the weather at the time.
Christine Sinclaire was widowed two weeks before Christmas when her husband slipped while fitting lights to the roof. She takes her 15 year old son Billy and their pet cat to the remote cabin that she'd planned with her husband for Christmas. It's a way to avoid reality for a few days over the festive period, and to get away from all the concerned neighbours.
Billy is not happy with the arrangements. He is coping with his father's death almost as well as Christine is dealing with it.
They find they have more than grief and blame to contend with at the cabin. A creature is stalking the frozen woods. A creature with horns and hooves like a moose, hut that seems to stand on two legs. A creature that calls to Christine with her husband's voice. Events move from tragic to scary in short order.
This is a beautifully written examination of the impact of guilt, blame and grief on a family. It''s also a pretty scary creature feature. Christine's response to her husband's death feels genuinely heartbreaking. She constantly relives his last moments. The author's use of repetition with this is masterfully done. The half descriptions of the creature, so we're never quite certain what this thing is, are equally well done.
The final couple of chapters really get the pulse pounding. There is some proper nightmare fuel present here. Lindy Ryan builds a cloying and oppressive atmosphere. These are two very realistically damaged humans under threat.
I would certainly recommend this. An excellent start to the year's reading.
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